Colorado Concern is the same group that helped Ritter, a Democrat, retire some $250,000 in campaign debts in 2006. This is what Steve Schuck, a one-time Republican gubernatorial candidate, told me late last year about why the mostly Republican group agreed to fundraise to help pay off Ritter’s debt:

“Some of us aren’t happy about that, but that’s reality. He’s the governor, and if you want to have influence and you want to have access, you have to deal with the guy who’s in office, not the guy you might have preferred to have there.”

So while Ritter says he is listening to concerns from opponents of the tourism act, his signature is all but a given. He already ticked of Concern members with the infamous executive order that strengthened bargaining powers for state workers. Further, his top economic development official was a vocal supporter of the measure.

Schuck is just one of several Colorado Concern business leaders who will benefit from the Tourism Act, which will give up to $50 million annually in sales tax revenue to developers to help pay off debt issued for construction of tourism projects such as a NASCARracetrack. No doubt, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck will get a piece of the action if the track does go forward and International Speedway Corp. is brought on board. Steve Farber, founding partner of the law firm, is on the board of Concern. Real estate execs Larry Mizel, Walt Isenberg and Pat Hamill are all members of Colorado Concern.